Hi All,
I might be new here but debt is something I have struggled with all my life.
A little about me: Mom of 2 - daughter is 17 and son is 13. I work full time and graduated from college with a BS in, of all things, Finance! I am very independent, hard working and, when it comes to most things, responsible.
I have close to 20K in debt - mainly credit cards. I need to find a way out of this hole I have created for myself before...my husband finds out. Yes, you read that right. My husband doesn't know I have this debt. And I want to keep it that way. Actually I want to pay it all off before he finds out. You might be asking, how does he not know?? We have been married 13 years and from the start we have kept our finances separate. He pays for the mortgage and taxes. I pay for the utilities and food. He pays for our son's karate and I pay for all the kids clothes, school lunches, just about anything else that they need. He pays for his car and his car insurance. I pay for mine. It's a system that has suited us well except for the fact that most months I don't have enough cash on hand that I end up charging whatever the kids need.
With all that said, I am super determined to make this happen. I am going to scrimp and save and throw every dollar I can find towards my debts. I am not bringing this into our retirement with me. I have about 18 years until I retire - more than enough time to dig myself out but I want it gone sooner rather than later so I can save myself from the increasing anxiety I feel when I check the mail or the phone rings or my husband talks about money.
I will post my budget and debt amounts soon. I hope you all will hold me accountable and help me find some ways to save.
Newbie :)
May 23rd, 2018 at 07:44 pm
May 23rd, 2018 at 07:59 pm 1527105596
Secret debt is rough. I hope that you are able to reach your goals.
This place is great. And if you post consistently it keeps you accountable.
May 23rd, 2018 at 08:07 pm 1527106044
May 23rd, 2018 at 08:25 pm 1527107122
May 23rd, 2018 at 09:45 pm 1527111954
Tell us, what is your plan for how to pay the debt?
May 23rd, 2018 at 11:47 pm 1527119248
May 24th, 2018 at 01:36 am 1527125806
I've been following Dave Ramsey's plan since last August, and I say it works, it might be something you might want to check out. I've been off 4 credit cards since starting.
Here's my two cents, I personally think you should tell your husband, you will need the support not to mention he should be your best friend, someone you can confide in. I also think if you combined your incomes, created a budget you'll be able to knock this debt out in no time and save a lot more as a couple
May 24th, 2018 at 01:49 am 1527126574
May 24th, 2018 at 01:55 am 1527126902
I think you'll need to communicate about your debt to your husband though. When you make a drastic change he will probably notice and ask questions. You might matter-of-factly take accountability and outline your strategy for resolution.
Good luck! It motivates us all to see debt get crushed. We'll be cheering you on.
May 24th, 2018 at 11:53 am 1527162811
May 24th, 2018 at 08:59 pm 1527195552
May 27th, 2018 at 06:54 pm 1527447272
I see you cut your land line and have a plan to put a few hundred toward your debt each month. I guess I'm wondering what you can do with your budget so that your expenses don't routinely exceed your monthly income? Can you take another look at where the money goes and cut some more? I think you have to be aggressive to get a handle on this debt.